In addition to the 11-inch 2170p, HP updated its EliteBook line for business users of all sizes with the 12.5-inch 2750p, the 14-inch 8470p and the 15.6-inch 8570p. Following the design cues of previous EliteBooks, the new arrivals come decked out in the attractive yet durable platinum-color bead-blasted aluminum DuraCase finish.

Each of the notebooks are MIL-STD 810G tested, which means they can withstand being dropped from a limited height and withstand extreme temperatures. Each notebook features an spill-resistant island-style keyboards complete with HP DuraKey, a clear coating applied over the keys to protect and maintain the finish. Similar to past EliteBooks, the latest line features a pointing stick and a touchpad with a pair of discrete mouse buttons.

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Yes, HP just announced the EliteBook Folio 9470 Ultrabook, but what if you want something even smaller? The EliteBook 2170p, the smallest business notebook in the company’s lineup, features an 11.6-inch screen and a starting weight of just 2.9 pounds, making the laptop extremely lightweight and travel-friendly.

Taking design cues from the HP EliteBook 2560p, the 2170p has a platinum-colored Duracase design with a bead-blasted aluminum finish, making it both stylish and business-rugged. Despite its small frame, the 2170p features a full-size island-style keyboard that’s also spill-resistant, along with a pointing stick. There’s also an optional backlit keyboard. The notebook also has a 11.6-inch  1366 x 768p LED backlit anti-glare with a 720p integrated webcam.

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Business users searching for a sleek durable notebook that’s big on efficiency need look no further than the HP EliteBook Folio 9470m. HP’s latest business model takes the slim dimensions of the HP Folio 13 Ultrabook and combines them with the durability and function of an HP EliteBook. With a thickness of just 0.75 inches, the 3.6-pound,  14-inch notebook is HP’s thinnest business laptop to date.

The EliteBook Folio 9470m will ship with Intel’s third-generation Ivy Bridge processor. The 9470m also features a 14-inch LED-backlit 1366 x 768p HD anti-glare display, a 720p HD webcam, and a backlit, spill-resistant island-style keyboard. Instead of the Folio 13′s imagepad, the 9470m features a glass touchpad with two discrete mouse buttons. Security features include a security lock slot and a fingerprint scanner.

In terms of ports, the 9470m features three USB 3.0 ports, one of which can charge devices. There will also be DisplayPort, a SmartCard reader,  SD/MMC reader, VGA, Gigabit Ethernet, a combo microphone/headphone dock, and a dock connector.

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Ultrabooks are the lean and mean super-athletes of the notebook world. According to Intel’s definition, these MacBook Air alternatives must be less than an inch thick, boot in less than 60 seconds and resume from sleep in less than five seconds. But there’s still room for each company to add its own imprimatur, from the design and keyboard to the display and audio capabilities. So, in the spirit of the upcoming Olympic Games, we subjected six of our favorite Ultrabooks to a 10-round competition to see which one has the makings of a gold-medal winner.

The Competition

ASUS ZenBook UX31	Dell XPS 13	HP Folio 13	Lenovo IdeaPad U300s	Samsung Series 5	Toshiba Portege Z835
$1,099	$999	$1,048	$1,495	$879	$899
ASUS ZenBook UX31 Review	Dell XPS 13 Review	HP Folio 13 Review	Lenovo IdeaPad U300s Review	Samsung Series 5 Review	Toshiba Portege Z835 Review

How We Scored

For each round, we awarded 3 points for a first-place finish, 2 points for second place and 1 point for third.

Ultrabook Decathalon

• Introduction
• Design and Ports
• Keyboard and Touchpad
• Display and Audio
• Battery Life & Performance
• Software, Warranty, & Value
• Winners

With a flood of inexpensive Windows-based Ultrabooks set to hit the market, Apple’s MacBook Air 11-inch is looking more and more expensive. Perhaps that’s why, according to a rumor published  in Taiwanese website DigiTimes , Apple could be planning to release a $799 version of its popular ultraportable.

[More: Tech to Watch 2012: The Year of the Ultrabooks]

An ultra-thin and lightweight series of notebooks, the MacBook Air line currently starts at $999 for the 11-inch model and $1,299 for the 13-incher. To answer the success of both the Airs and of tablets, Intel launched its Ultrabook initiative in 2011. Thus far, we’ve seen several Ultrabooks from Dell, HP, Samsung and other PC makers, but the most affordable option is the Acer Aspire S3, a $799 laptop that earned just 2.5 stars in our review, due to its lacklaster hard drive and weak battery life. The second-most affordable Ultrabook, the Toshiba Portege Z835, starts at $829, or $270 less than the entry price of the MacBook Air. Read the rest of this entry »

Sony has announced its new Ultrabook for European markets, the VAIO T13 (as well as its smaller cousin the T11) — and it looks good. A sleek 0.7-inch-thick aluminum and magnesium chassis encloses a Sandy Bridge Core i3-2367M processor, 4GB of RAM and a 320GB, 5,400-rpm hard drive (with the option to upgrade to an SSD or HDD/SSD hybrid). A 13.3-inch 1366 x 768 display (11.6 inches on the T11), USB 3.0 port, 2 USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth 4.0 + HS, Wi-Fi b/g/n, HDMI out and HD webcam round out the package. The T13 model will weigh 3.53 pounds. 

Sony promises up to 9 hours of battery life (on SSD models), and up to 90 days of standby time. The VAIO T13 and T11 are due to be released in Europe next month, although pricing for the T13 and T11 has not been officially announced.

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While Samsung and Acer Chromebooks got the latest developer build Google’s Chrome OS and its new “Aura” UI earlier this month, anyone using Google’s own CR-48 Chromebook couldn’t download the update until late last week. Developer build 20.0.1116.0, offers access to Aura’s new “windowed” user interface. We went hands-on with Chrome OS 20 to see how this open OS is coming along.

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Although its M11x gaming notebook has gone the way of the dinosaur, Alienware has gotten decidedly more kick-ass. The company has just announced the latest updates to three of its popular gaming notebooks. The M14x, M17x, and M18x will all feature Intel’s Ivy Bridge processors along with the latest Nvidia and AMD graphics cards.

Each notebook will have different hardware options and configurations, but will feature USB 3.0, Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI 1.4, Creative Sound Blaster audio chipset with THX 7.1 digital surround sound and Klipsch-branded speakers. 

Alienware is also updating its Command Center, and rebranding it as AlienAdrenaline. This utility will enable users to create shortcuts and macros for specific games or applications. For example, you can configure the notebook to change the keyboard backlighting to a specific color, and have a a certain playlist launch whenever you start up “Assassin’s Creed 3.”

The M14x, M17x and M18x are available now starting at $1,099, $1,499 and $1,999 respectively.

• Alienware M17x (2011): Full Review
• Intel Ivy Bridge Tested: Full Benchmark Results
• Top 10 Most Anticipated Ivy Bridge Notebooks

Poor Alienware M11x, we hardly knew ye. After two years, Alienware officially discontinued the Alienware M11X gaming laptop earlier this month. However, the good news is that Maingear has announced its own 11-inch gaming notebook.

According to Engadget, the 11.6-inch Maingear Pulse 11 has some intriguing specs such as an Ivy Bridge processor, Nvidia GeForce GT650M with 2GB of VRAM and an Intel GMA HD GPU under its petite hood. Other specs include 1366 x 768 LED-backlit display, USB 3.0, HDMI out, 320GB HDD with up to 16GB of RAM. Expect to shell out at least $1,099 for the Core i5 starting configuration.

It still remains to be seen if gamers are clamoring for a serious gaming rig in an 11.6-inch form factor, but Maingear will make its case on June 3 when the first models begin shipping.

• Alienware M11X R3: Full Review
• Help Me, LAPTOP: I Want a Gaming Notebook for Under $1,000
• Help Me, LAPTOP: I Want a Gaming Notebook for Under $1,700

Yesterday during Apple’s quarterly earnings report, Tim Cook threw a verbal jab at Microsoft, saying its decision to combine a desktop and tablet operating system is analogous to combining a toaster and a refrigerator.

Cook’s statement was in response to a question from an analyst on the call, who asked whether Apple would one day create an iPad-Mac hybrid similar to the laptop-tablet hybrids being developed by the likes of Intel and Lenovo.

[Lenovo VP: Tablet-Laptop Hybrids Could Flatten iPad]

Cook replied saying that combining the two products would result in tradeoffs that would have a negative impact on consumers. “You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, but you know those things are probably not going to be pleasing to the user,” he said, adding, “To make the compromises of convergence, we’re not going to that party. Others might. Others might from a defensive point of view, particularly.” Read the rest of this entry »